“With ‘Radioscopy’, I have what matters most, human contact”

IN THE ARCHIVES – For the tenth anniversary of the death of the great radio journalist, we are republishing this interview published in “Télérama” in September 1969.

Tnine-year annuity. Facilitator of Fluoroscopy on France Inter and, once a month, on Sunday Guest on television, journalist in the written press, passionate about travel and cars. This would be enough to define Jacques Chancel. But we wanted to know more and, to do so, we went to see him at his property, near Fontainebleau, where he rests every Saturday.

More than two hectares of land, a hundred animals, a swimming pool, a house with seventeen rooms; this is the refuge of Jacques Chancel. However, he does not take pride in it.

– I always live beyond my means. I get into debt and, being honest, it requires me to work a lot to pay it off.

Jacques Chancel wanted to enter Saint-Cyr, but he met Raymond Cartier and found himself a war correspondent, for Matchin Indochina, for five years. After which he became a television critic.

– Then I waited a year to be forgotten and I started doing shows.

Now, Jacques Chancel arrives every day, except Saturday and Sunday, at 4:55 p.m. at his studio at the Maison de la Radio and leaves at 6:5 p.m.

– I am preparing Fluoroscopy by reading a lot. I need to know everything about my guest before I come on the show. When Louis Anmand came, I read three of his books in forty-eight hours. (Luckily three or four hours of sleep per night is enough for me!) I simply write down a few points of reference on a sheet of paper to guide the conversation.

– Are all your guests willing to come and are they sincere?

– So far, they have all accepted except Marcel Achard who wants to prepare before participating in such a show. As for playing the game… I think men do it much more easily than women. They give themselves up with less reluctance. But I received extraordinary women like Françoise Rosay or Marie Laforêt who said things that they would never have confided in a simple interview. And then, there were prodigious people like Cardinal Daniélou, Henri de Monfreid or Me Floriot. I had also made the bet of making the latter sing at the end of the show and I succeeded! The great thing is that after their time at the microphone, no guest regrets what they said. I don't care how old the people I talk to are. They just need to have something to say.

– What do you do if a guest doesn’t play along?

– I am asking a treacherous question. Without bothering them. I must be like a host who receives friends at his home. You have to start the conversation, guide it, prevent someone from making themselves ridiculous and always try to save them if they get stuck. You need to create a relaxed, confident, relaxed atmosphere. With Fluoroscopy, I have what matters most to me, human contact. For this show, I receive 700 to 1,200 letters per day from everywhere, including New York. What pleases me is that people who, a priori, would never have tried to get to know Jules Roy or Maurice Druon for example, listen to the show with interest.

I hate star hosts.

– Why did you receive Roland Dhordain?

– I was waiting for this question! I must first tell you, and you may remember, that Dhordain had done my fluoroscopy on the 1^is april. So, I took my revenge! But I assure you that he had absolutely no idea of ​​the questions I was going to ask him when I entered the studio and if you listened to the show, you could see that I was not always kind to him!

– Is one hour of broadcasting enough?

– For certain broadcasts of Fluoroscopyit's too much. But ultimately, I prefer people to want to hear more than to be bored. Either way, in a year or so, that will change. I think that instead of inviting just one person, I will invite two who don't particularly like each other and I will fade more and more. I hate star hosts. I believe that I will never have a “big head” because I am perfectly aware that, when I stop making shows, the name of Jacques Chancel will quickly be forgotten.

Article published in the Telerama No. 1028 of September 28, 1969